The Lost Girl - REDUX
by Yuzuru's-Angel
Summary: (This is an enhanced version)(It's been 4 years since original :O) Set a while after Clannad, Ushio is 17, and is now a Junior in High School. One day, she has a fateful encounter with a transfer student, Tokoi Konoda. As Tokoi follows his innate feeling to protect Ushio, he helps her through the tribulations of life. UshioxOC(Tokoi Konoda.) Many OC's and returning characters!
1. Chapter One - Transfer

**Clannad**

**The Lost Girl – Redux**

_**Hey hey hey! How's everyone doing? I'm back with a redux for one of my classic stories, The Lost Girl!**_

**_This is something I've wanted to do for quite a while: Re-write The Lost Girl. This is because of my greatly-improved writing abilities, as well as my better understanding of dialogue exchanging, character interaction, etc., etc._**

_**All in all: This is a complete MAKEOVER for the original. 99% of the plot will stay the same. Only the writing itself will be completely re-polished and lengthened.**_

_**Hope you enjoy, even if you haven't read The Lost Girl already or if you decide to re-read it through this! (If you can't wait, the original fic can be found via my profile!)**_

_**Extended Summary: 17-year-old Tokoi Konoda ends up moving to the town of Hikarizaka, where he has a chance encounter with Ushio Okazaki. Their story together unfolds as Tokoi finds that he has an innate sense to protect Ushio, as they meet new friends, fight the tribulations of life, and find comfort in each other. Will it end in happiness, tears, or anger? Either way, this is the story of a boy, and a Lost Girl.**_

_**Please Read, Review, and ENJOY!~**_

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Transfer**

"Konoda! Over here!" I turned towards the voice that had called out to me. There, my child-hood friend, Yurino, sporting his usual mess of blonde hair with his uniform tie completely loosened, came bounding up to me, a large grin on his face.

"Oh... Hey Yurino," I said. It was then that I noticed the overly-large backpack on his back. Raising an eyebrow, I questioned, "Did you bring an elephant with you?"

"No, even better!" Yurino took the backpack off, and I sighed, watching as he looked around suspiciously and motioned for me to get closer. I bent down, peering at the backpack. He opened the flap ever so slowly...

_Whoosh!_ Suddenly, a storm of confetti flew out of the backpack. Yurino quickly closed the bag once more, though it had lost about a quarter of its size. I stood there, dumbfounded.

"Uh..."

"Well? What do you think?" Yurino grinned sheepishly at me.

As I picked the pieces of confetti from my hair and uniform, I looked from the bag to Yurino, trying to figure out just what was going on. _Is this a prank on me, or is he just really stupid?... Only one way to find out,_ I thought. I gave him a thumbs up. "It's amazing!"

Yurino's eyes lit up, and he raised a fist into the air. "Yes! Those Freshmen won't know what hit them!"

"W-Wait, what?" I instantly regretted what I said, watching Yurino as he struggled to put the backpack back on happily. _So, he is an idiot..._

"Come on, Tokoi! We have to set this up before the assembly begins!"

"Won't this get us in a lot of trouble?"

"Only if we get caught! Come on!" Yurin grabbed my arm and started to tug me along with him.

"H-Hey! I don't agree to this!"

* * *

So thus, there we were, atop the rafters of the school's auditorium. It felt like a tight-rope act being that high up, and I found myself struggling not to look down.

"Alright, this should be good," Yurino said, setting the backpack down gently on the rafters, looking down below. "It's far enough back to hit a lot of the Freshmen, while avoiding any teacher casualties! Haha! It's the perfect plan!"

_Not to a smart person, _I thought with a sigh. "Why do you even need me here?"

"I'm not sure, actually. I guess you can act as a look-out," he stated, much to my disdain.

"Well, I'll 'look out' from somewhere not dangerously high in the air," I stated, turning and heading back towards the door we had come through.

"Oh, come on!" I looked back to see Yurino waving his fist at me. "Coward! Cowaaaaaarrrrr-" His knee suddenly bumped into the backpack, making it wobble towards the edge. "Crap!" Yurino quickly grabbed for it, but I could tell instantly that he was going to go with it.

"Yurino!" I quickly darted across the rafter towards him as he wobbled with the bag over the edge. The moment seemed to pass in slow-motion as I extended my hand to him. The bag left his grasp and fell,88 and Yurino reached out to me...

But I missed him. Our hands never even touched as I attempted to save him. I could only watch his terrified expression as he fell...

I closed my eyes before the impact, hearing the _thud _as his body hit the ground.

* * *

"We do not tolerate such outrageous actions in this school," I hear a booming voice say from within the School Administrator's office. "What good has this prank done? None! It left a student with serious injuries! I believe that this school..." His voice trailed off as I stood, not wanting to hear anymore, and walked out through the front doors of the school.

_It's not my fault,_ I thought with irritation. _That idiot Yurino..._ I lashed out at one of the trees in the front entrance of the school, punching it, ignoring the pain as I hit the bark. Tears welled up in my eyes, and a calm breeze came by, sweeping some of them away.

A hand settled on my shoulder. "Let's go." It was my father, who had just gotten lectured by the Administrator about my actions. Without even lifting my head, I turned and began to follow him.

As we exited the gate to the school, my father suddenly turned to me, grabbing me by the collar, taking me by surprise. I looked at him, his eyes full of rage.

"_What _were you thinking? I thought we raised you better!" He turned, throwing me to the ground. I landed on my bottom. I glared up at him. "Would your mother want this to happen, if she was still here?"

I quickly got up, approaching my father, anger rising within me from his statement. "Don't bring her into this!" In my anger, I shoved my father hard, making him stumble back a few steps. He seemed appalled by this, and I instantly regretted it.

"You... You're the reason that she's gone! You can't do _anything _right!"

My eyes widened, burning with hatred for the man standing in front of me. I quickly ran forward, bringing my right hand forward in one, swift movement, striking my father in the face. His glasses flew off, hitting the ground, their lenses shattering into several pieces.

We stood there for a few moments, both shocked. I retracted my hand, staring at my father as he placed a hand on his face.

_Why did I do that...?_ I wondered. My father looked around at the ground for a moment before finding his glasses, picking them up and examining them before placing them into his pocket. He then turned away from me.

"I...I don't want you to live here anymore," he stated, to my surprise. "I'm going to transfer you to a school far away, so I never have to see you again." His voice was low and quiet, but I could feel the hostility boiling there, the innate sense of anger that began to surface not just from the recent event, but the memories of my mother as well.

"Good riddance then," I mutter as my father begins to walk away. However, I'll never know why I spoke those words, because far beneath my anger, my hate...

I was fearful. I began to doubt his words as I walked, taking the long way back home.

_He didn't mean it, right? It was just the booze talking,_ I pondered, staring down at the ground so much that it began to burn into my memory, background images for the true matter at hand. _There's no way he'd kick me out..._

_Right?_

* * *

Merely a month later, I found myself at the gates of a new school, Hikarizaka Private High School. As I stared up at the building, I felt a surge of relief that the building itself did not seem overly fancy or shiny-new. Being a private school, I expected to be put up to a certain standard.

_Well, guess I can relax then,_ I thought, taking my first step onto the grounds, loosening my tie a bit. As I did this, however, a figure suddenly stepped out in front of me. It was a girl. As I looked down at her, the wind began to blow past us.

The girl had dull-orange hair accompanied by deep-blue eyes that looked up at me sternly. Her uniform, I noticed, had a red trim to it, as well as her shoes, symbolizing, from what I had read, that she was an 11th Year, just like I.

"So, you come late to school, and then you decide to not even look decent?!" Her accusations took be by surprise, and I found myself unable to respond for a moment. "Well?"

"I... er..." As I searched for the words to find, the girl put a hand up to her chin, examining me up and down.

"Oh, so you're the new student I heard about?"

"Yeah... You heard I was coming?"

"Of course, I _am_ the Student Council President here," the girl stated proudly. "My name is Keido Risha. No need for formality, so just call me Risha."

"I'm-"

"Tokoi Konoda, right? Hmph." Risha turned, motioning towards me over her shoulder. "Since you're so late, let's just get you to your class."

_S-So heartless,_ I thought, a bit ticked off. I sighed, following the girl towards the front steps of the school. As we entered, I was greeted by a cool breeze from within. I shivered. _It's so cold in here..._

As if reading my mind, Risha stated, "Because of the majority of girls at this school, I was pushed to make sure that the school stayed the temperature that all of the girls could agree upon," she stated.

"That's... not really fair," I commented. She looked back, eyeing me.

"I'm pretty fair, but I _am _still a girl, after all."

_Hardly..._

We walked through the halls, headed up a flight of stairs, and eventually came to a hallway where the classrooms were marked: '2A', '2B', '2C', and '2B'. I could only assume the pattern continued as the doors went down the hall.

"Well, this is our class," Risha stated, pointing up to the 2B sign.

"_Our _class?"

"Yep. You're lucky enough to be in the same class as me. Don't let it go to your head," Risha said, placing a hand on the door. She slid it open and walked in, completely uniformly. I followed her, hesitating for a moment, wondering if I should act the same. After a moment, I entered...

As I entered the room, I looked to the left to see several pairs of eyes staring at me. I gulped, realizing that I was in no way prepared for this moment. Risha said something to the teacher, a younger-looking woman with dark-blue hair, before glancing at me as she headed back to her desk, near the back.

"Well, class, it seems the new student I told you about has arrived," the woman stated, in a surprisingly cynical tone that caught me off-guard. "What a great way to start his time here, wouldn't you say?"

This comment sparked conversation and some laughs from the other students in the class. _T-This is a nightmare!_ I thought.

"Come on, don't be shy," the teacher told me, motioning for me to step forward. I nodded, standing in front of her podium, facing the class.

"H-Hello, my name is Konoda Tokoi," I spoke. Everyone hushed in an instant. "I'm looking forward to being in class with all of you." I did a quick bow, then stood back up, looking around at them. There was silence for a few moments, and I gulped. _Tough crowd..._

Thankfully, to my relief, chatter began to spread across the room, piercing through the deadly silence.

"Alright, Konoda. Your seat will be in the back, behind our _beloved _Student Council President," the teacher stated, pointing towards the back-left of the classroom, where Risha sat with an empty desk behind her beside the windows, staring outside, seemingly uninterested in what was happening.

"T-Thanks," I stated, walking towards it.

"Oh! How rude of me," the teacher stated. I stopped, turning to her. "I am Mrs. Sagara. I'll be your homeroom teacher!" The woman winked and flexed her right arm, placing her hand on it in a sort of "I can do it" pose.

I gave a quick bow to her before retreating to my seat, letting out a sigh of relief as I sat down, slouching back into my chair, closing my eyes... However, something suddenly swatted me across the nose, making me sit up, staring forward at Risha, who was looking back at me angrily.

"You aren't thinking of sleeping on your first day, are you?"

"Of course not... You were the one who was day-dreaming over here," I pointed out.

"It's not my fault you're boring," she said, turning back to look towards the front of the class.

I gritted my teeth and sat back in my chair. _I'm not sure what to think of all this... _Luckily, a bell began to chime. Mrs. Sagara clapped her hands together.

"Great! Time for lunch! But don't slack off," she told the class, waving and quickly retreating from the room so fast that I could've _sworn_ she kicked up dust trails.

Risha stood, fumbling through her bag before pulling out a small, pink bento. It was the perfect opportunity.

"Ehh? Isn't that a bit cutesy for you?"

Risha tossed a glare at me. "Don't talk like you know me at all," she stated.

"I'm just saying-" I was cut off as Risha suddenly grasped the front of my desk, pulling it up, tilting me back. _What the-_ Before I could react, she flipped my desk entirely, making me tumble along with the desk into the back wall of the classroom. I laid there, groaning, and Risha merely scoffed before leaving the room. Some of the other students watched her in fear, and, well, I couldn't blame them.

_S-Such strength..._

* * *

It took be a while before I had recuperated from the super-human that was Risha's wrath. As I rummaged through my bag, I quickly realized, with a groan, that I had forgotten to pack any kind of lunch.

_I guess I'm not that hungry anyways,_ I thought, shaking my head. Looking around, the classroom was empty now, leaving only me inside. _I guess I'll go look around._

I headed towards the door and slid it open. As I stepped outside, I suddenly found myself running into somebody with a hard _thud!_ I stumbled back a bit, but I managed to not fall down. The other person, a girl, didn't fair so well, falling back onto her rump.

For a moment, I rubbed my chest, feeling a bit of a pain from where she had run into me. "Hey, watch where you're-" I stopped in mid-sentence as the girl looked up at me, stunned as her amber eyes seemed to pierce through me.

"I...I'm sorry!" The girl blushed intensely, dipping her head and clasping her hands together.

"It's fine, I guess... I'm to blame to," I told her, stepping forward and extending a hand down to the girl. She looked up at it, then hesitantly grasped it. After I helped to pull her up, the girl dusted herself off, and then gave a bow.

"Thank you..." The girl stood up, looking at me. For a moment, I found myself staring into her eyes, feeling as though they were pulling me in...

Then I realized what I was doing. Both of us blushed after our eyes locked for a few moments,, and we looked away.

"U-Um... I came to give this to Keido..."

"Risha? She'll probably be back at the end of lunch," I told the girl.

"O-Oh, then could you give it to her?" She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out an envelope, handing it to me. I looked at it for a second.

"Yeah, I guess I can do that..." _I'm tempted to 'lose' it..._

"Thank you," the girl said, giving a quick bow before turning to leave.

"Wait!" I reached out to the girl, and she stopped, turning to me. I blushed, unsure as to why I had stopped her. "My... name's Tokoi. Tokoi Konoda."

The girl turned back to me, smiling. "I'm Okazaki Ushio," she began, dipping her head, then looking up at me. I felt lost in her eyes, her smile...

"Nice to meet you~!"

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

**Next Chapter: Encounters**

_**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the redux! Expect fast chapter updates, since, well, this story is already written! All I have to worry about is making it look better for you guys! ^~^ **_


	2. Chapter Two - Encounters

**Chapter Two**

**Encounters**

* * *

The night passed by in a flash and, before I knew it, I found myself walking down the cherry-blossom-laden Hikarizaka once more. My bag was fairly heavy from the catch-up material and books I had received the day earlier, much to my disliking.

That, coupled by my still aching body from the events of the previous day, made for a pretty terrible morning. _Damn that Risha... It didn't hurt much when it actually happened,_ I thought. Though Okazaki Ushio was also partially to blame, it wasn't enough to erase my burning, passionate anger towards the fiery-haired girl.

From the combination of my body and mental strain, I had no idea that something was approaching me until it was upon me. I turned, hearing a buzzing sound, just in time to watch as a girl with orchid-color hair ran right into me with her scooter. At the last moment, she tried to brake, but it was too late, as I was knocked back onto the ground, and the scooter itself tilted forward, causing the girl to fly forward...

Landing right on top of me.

_This place hates me,_ I thought, simply laying there for a moment. The girl quickly got off of me, getting up to her feet. Looking at her, she threw a dirty look my way.

"Y-You should watch where you're going next time," she said to me.

I sat up, pointing at her. "Hey, I'm the victim here!"

Seemingly ignoring my accusations, the girl turned and knelt beside her scooter, examining it. "Phew, it seems to be okay after getting hit."

_But I'm the one who was hit! _I slowly got up to my feet, dusting my uniform off, then arching my body back, stretching. "What's up with people in this town trying to kill me?"

The girl turns to me. "Oh, are you a new student?"

"Yeah... But now I might have to go to the hospital, so see ya'," I tell her, turning and walking away, acting like I had a severe limp.

"H-Hey, wait!" I could tell the girl's voice was flustered, and I turned to her, smirking. She blushed, getting angry. "That's not nice... Don't play with my feelings like that."

"But hitting me with a scooter is nice?"

The girl's face reddened even more. She bent down and put her scooter up-right, hopping back onto it. "T-That's not the point," she said to me. I raise a hand to say something, but she _zooms _past me before I even get a chance. I watch as she rides off, until she's out of sight.

_I guess it makes for an exciting life here,_ I thought as I began walking towards the school once-more. _Though, if I have to experience something like this every day, I'm not sure if I could take anymore..._

* * *

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the gates to Hikarizaka. I stopped for a moment, looking around at the students that were entering en-bulk. It was an odd feeling, knowing that I was a newcomer to all of these lives that have been established already. _It's a bit scary..._

That was when I noticed a familiar figure standing beneath one of the cherry-blossom trees in front of the school, staring down at the ground. _Okazaki...?_

After looking around for a moment, checking for dangerous student-council presidents and scooters, I decided to head over to talk to Ushio.

"Hey," I stated as I approached her.

"I...wish you didn't have to go," she said softly.

I stood there, a bit dumbfounded. _What does she mean...?_

"Irisa-chan..." She wasn't speaking to me, seemingly in a trance-like state.

I quickly wave a hand in front of Ushio's face, and she reacts suddenly, as if startled, turning to me, blushing slightly. "O-Oh!... Konoda-san..."

"What were you thinking about just now?"

Ushio blushes a bit more, turning her head away to look over towards the gate. "I-It's just... My best friend, Irisa... She moved on without me."

"Without you?" I tilted my head in interest.

"I got sick my first Junior year, and had to miss a lot of school," Ushio began to explain, speaking softly as if the happening was still fresh in her mind. "So now I have to repeat a year, and all of my friends already moved on..."

_Some kind of friends they are,_ I thought. Ushio's saddened expression as her eyes fell back down to the ground made the moment a bit awkward. _What do I do about this...?_

After a moment of thinking, I stepped out in front of Ushio, facing her. She looked up at me questioningly. I extended a hand out to her and gave as warm of a smile as I could manage. "Well, then let's be friends, Okazaki?"

Ushio looks down at my hand for a moment, before a smile escapes her lips. "O-Okay," she says, extending her hand out to gently grab mine. We did a simple shake, before dropping our grasp... What followed, however, was an immediate awkward silence, which made both of us blush immensely.

Luckily, the savior that was the first bell began to chime. "A-Ah, I guess we should go to our classes," I stated, pointing towards the school building.

"Y-Yeah," Ushio said. And we both walked towards the school building...

* * *

Though the tribulations of the past day were putting a toll on me, I found myself able to breeze through the first half of my second day of classes. Risha, to my relief, seemed to be very per-occupied with something that I assumed to be some sort of important paperwork.

The bell chimed, signalling that lunch had begun. Mrs. Sagara, like the day before, instantly retreated out of the classroom.

Risha stood, picking up the papers from her desk and heading off. I was tempted to say something, but I bit my lip. _I'm still not sure whether I want to talk to her or not,_ I thought as I pulled out my small, boxed lunch.

I decided to follow the routine that I had always done ever since Junior-High: Go and eat on the rooftop. However, as I walked down the halls in an attempt to find the correct way, I caught a glimpse at the front of the school where, in the same place as this morning, Ushio sat, eating her lunch.

_Does she eat alone every day?_ _Should I eat with her? _I wondered, my stomach growling. I clutched it for a moment. _Either way, I'm starving... _

After a few moments of watching Ushio, I decided to go out to her. As I made my way outside, walking towards her, she didn't seem to notice me. Though, as soon as I sat down to her left, on the wall surrounding the tree's base, she noticed me.

"Konoda-kun?"

"Hey," I state simply. "I er, couldn't find my way to my normal eating spot, but I saw you here." I realized quickly that it sounded like I was making up excuses.

"I've always eaten here, since my friends left," Ushio said with a smile, though I could tell by her eyes that it was quite a saddening event.

As I popped open my lunch. I decided to change the subject quickly, pointing with my chopsticks at what Ushio had in her hands. "What is that?" I motioned towards the large, circular bread in her hand.

"It's Sweet Bean-Bread," she stated. "My grandmother made it."

"Oh? Is your grandmother a baker?"

Ushio nodded. "We have a bakery not far from the school," she told me. "Though, it seems like everybody but me hates her bread..." She took a small, elegant bite of the large bread, then smiled. "I love it."

I couldn't help but smile as well. _That smile is contagious,_ I realized. For the next few minutes, we ate in silence, which was half-unsettling, and half-peaceful. _I don't even know what to say..._

I never got a chance to say anything more, as the bell chimed just as I ate the last of the rice in my bento. I stood up, closing the box, looking over at Ushio as she wrapped the rest of the bread that she hadn't eaten up.

"I'd like to try some of your grandmother's bread sometime," I said. "It can't be all that bad."

Ushio stood, her eyes seeming to light up. "Really? That'd be great!" She smiled, and I couldn't help but blush a bit. She then gave me a small bow. "T-Thank you for keeping me company today, Konoda..."

I rubbed the back of my head, smiling nervously. "Any time... And... How about we drop the formality?" Ushio's face reddened at this. "If you don't mind, of course."

"O-Okay... T-T-T," she began, stuttering a bit as though it was a very embarrassing task. The more she did so, the more I realized how much it must mean to her, and I, too, found myself flustered.

"I-It's alright, we'll work on that," I told her, giving a thumbs up. She smiled at this.

"Then... I'll see you later," she said, giving a small wave before walking past. I returned the wave, watching her go for a second.

* * *

As I walked back to class, I found myself thinking about the moments before-hand. _Maybe this school isn't so bad,_ I found myself thinking.

However, as if on cue, a hard kick suddenly hit my back, making me stumble forward, barely able to keep my balance. I turned angrily, seeing none-other than Risha standing there, her hands on her hips, glaring at me.

"Did you do something to that girl out there?" She pointed at me accusingly.

"What kind of question is that?!"

"Hmph..." Risha lifts her chin and walks past me, acting as though she were royalty. "I'll be making sure you stay in-check, Tokoi," she said from behind me.

I turned to watch her go, and I sighed. Suddenly, the final return-to-class bell rang out through the halls, and I found myself instantly sprinting towards the classroom.

The rest of my second day went by fast, likely due to my avoidance of Risha at all costs, and my tendency to look behind me sometimes to make sure a scooter isn't riding in to hit me.

_I'm glad this day is over,_ I thought as I walked out of the school building. _Though, I guess it wasn't all bad._ The image of Ushio flickered into my head for a moment. I looked up slowly, and, to my surprise, I saw Ushio standing at the gate.

_Am I imagining things? _As I walked towards her, I blinked, wondering if it was in my head. However, as I grew close, Ushio noticed me, waving and smiling at me.

"T-Tokoi!"

**To Be Continued...**

**Next Chapter: Bread**


	3. Chapter Three - Bread

**Chapter Three**

**Bread**

* * *

"Tokoi-kun," Ushio said with a smile as I approached her at the gate.

"Er, were you waiting for me?"

"Y-Yeah," she stated, blushing a bit, her eyes shifting about for a moment. "I...wanted you to come see the bakery."

_S-So fast?_ I was taken aback by this, several possibilities going through my mind at once, some pleasant, and some quite chaotic.

"Tokoi?"

I shook the thoughts from my head. "Isn't it a bit fast for that?"

"Oh..." Ushio dipped her head to me. "I-I'm sorry, I thought..." She trailed off, turning away, obviously embarassed.

_Well, what's the harm in it? _I thought, reaching out to touch Ushio's shoulder. She turned to me, and I smiled.

"Alright, let's go then."

* * *

It didn't take long before we reached the bakery. As we approached it, I took note of the sign that stated, 'Furukawa Bakery'. _Furukawa?_

Ushio, noticing my focus on the sign, stopped and explained, "That's grandparents' last name."

"Oh. Is your father around?"

"He has to work a lot," she stated solemnly, stepping inside.

After walking in, I closed the door behind me. The bakery was void of any other people.. "...Are you sure they aren't closed?"

"They must be out. I'll go check," Ushio said, giving me a wave before heading out through the door behind the counter, leaving me there in eery silence.

I decided to look around, lifting the covers off of the bread containers, checking out what exactly they had. There were simple breads that you could find anywhere, such as melon bread, but then I came across one labelled 'Rice-Cracker' bread. _Hmm... That doesn't sound awful._

Looking around, I grabbed one of the Rice-Cracker breads. I squeezed it for a moment, finding that it was extremely hardened. _I'm not sure about this..._

"Oh?" I looked up to see Ushio coming back in. "You can try it, if you like."

"Might as well," I said with a shrug, bringing the bread up to my mouth. _Bite... Crunch... Crunch..._

After merely a few chews, I stopped, looking down at the bread. Its center contents were revealed to be just, well, Rice-Crackers. _I don't know what I expected,_ I thought, struggling with the plain, dry bread and crackers in my mouth.

"Well?" Ushio was looking at me expectantly. I decided to man-up and chew a few more times before swallowing it, coughing at the dryness of my mouth afterward.

"Can I be honest?"

"Of course!"

"It's awful."

We stood there in silence for a few moments. Ushio gave me a nervous smile. "O-Oh..."

"Sorry," I told her. _Was I too honest? _"I guess it's not all that ba-" I'm interrupted as, suddenly, somebody bursts in through the door behind the counter. There, I see a woman who looks a bit like an older Ushio, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I-It's awful?" The woman's voice was very saddened.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"

Before I can say anymore, the woman bursts out into tears, cover her hands with her face, and she runs through the shop, heading out the front door, leaving me standing there, confused.

"Hey," came a rather deep voice. I looked to my left to see who the newcomer was, only to find a man standing there, pointing an aluminum bat my way. "Haven't you heard of manners?"

"I didn't know anybody else would hear that..."

"You could have just said that it was good! The best you've ever had," the man exclaimed to me.

"Isn't lying bad, though?"

The man squinted his eyes at me, then turned his head to Ushio. "Just who is this punk?" _Punk?!_

"H-He's Tokoi, a new student at school," Ushio explained. "He wanted to see the bakery, and, um..." She seemed to be lost for words, blushing a bit.

_That's no way to explain things... Now it'll be awkward! _I thought. In order to avoid Ushio's awful explanation, I pointed towards the front door. "Shouldn't you run after her or something?"

"Eh, I usually would, but these days my knees get pretty tired," the man said, taking one of the Rice-Cracker breads and putting it in his mouth, biting down on it to hold it there. "Now I take the opportunity to get a good jog," he mumbles through the bread, jogging out the door. As he goes, I can hear him shout a muffled, "Wait up, Sanae!"

"Your grandparents, I presume?"

"Yeah... They're pretty funny," Ushio said with a smile.

"I'm sure it's never stale around here," I pointed out. _Though a bit chaotic,_ I add in my mind.

Ushio giggles, and I tilt my head to her, confused. "Stale... Like bread..." She laughs a bit more, holding her hands to her mouth, trying to hide it.

_T-Too cute!_ I realize as I watch this unfold, unable to keep myself from chuckling a bit as well.

We decided to wait until Sanae and Ushio's grandfather returned, which took about half-an-hour. During that time, we found ourselves drenched in silence, which was only broken by the few times where Ushio would remember my pun and suddenly find herself laughing.

"Phew, that was a tough one," Ushio's grandfather said as he entered the bakery, stretching his arms. Then, he quickly pointed the bat back at me. "You should apologize!"

I flashed a look over to Ushio, who shrugged. With a sigh, I turned to Sanae, giving a polite bow. "I'm sorry..."

"It's fine," she stated in an extra-sweet voice that took me off-guard, "I'm sorry that we have to meet like this."

"Ehh? Don't let him off like that!" Ushio's grandfather prodded the bat against the back of my head, making me bow further down, to my annoyance.

"Akio, that's no way to treat one of Ushio's friends," Sanae told him.

"Hmph..." Akio retracted the bat from me and I stood, rubbing the back of my head. "So, brat, why did you move here to this town?"

The question was surprisingly difficult for me to answer. I didn't want to admit the fact that I had been expelled from my previous school and kicked out of my father's house, but I couldn't quite figure out a fake answer.

"Well, it's kind of a long story," I said, trying to avoid it.

"Then we can go and sit," Sanae stated with a smile. "It's been a while since Ushio brought company over."

"D-Don't say things like that," Ushio mumbled shyly.

* * *

Heading back into the house part of the bakery, we all sat around the dining-room table, with Sanae to my left, Ushio to my right, and Akio across from me, still giving me a sort of stern look.

"I see, so that's what happened," Sanae said solemnly after I told my story.

"B-But it wasn't your fault, right?" Ushio looked to her grandparents for confirmation.

"You certainly didn't stop your friend from doing the stupid prank," Akio pointed out, "So you're partially to blame."

"Akio!" Sanae glared at Akio.

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth!"

I shrugged, looking down into the tea in front of me, seeing my own reflection. "He's right... Now I guess I just have to live with it."

"But why move all the way out here? You didn't explain that," Akio stated.

The three of them stared at me intently, and I gulped. _How can I get out of this...?_

Sanae was the one to break it, clapping once to get everyone's attention. "Well, we shouldn't delve too deep into Tokoi's personal matters," she said. I let out a breath of relief. _Thank you..._ "So, why don't we share some stories as well?"

"I don't have any stories to tell," Akio stated with a smug smile.

"What about the time when-" Sanae stopped as Akio quickly moved beside her, putting a hand over her mouth.

"I've got _nothing _to tell!"

"But G-san, what about last week when you-"

"Gah! I said nothing!" Akio pouted, and both Sanae and Ushio laughed. I smiled at the scene. _They're a bit odd, but I guess it helps them become closer,_ I thought as they went on, talking back-and-forth...

It gave me a sort of longing for something like this. At my home, it was only my Grandmother and I, our only conversations being short and simple, mainly because of the lack of knowledge about each other. Not to mention before, with my father... There was rarely any conversation there.

"Tokoi!" I looked up at Akio's voice, realizing the world had been drowned out by my thoughts. He was grinning at me, seemingly a lot more cheery. "Take care of Ushio, will ya?"

There was silence for a few moments. From the corner of my eye, I could see Ushio's face burning red-hot. Sanae was smiling. I wasn't exactly sure how to respond.

"You got it, grandpa'," I said, giving him a thumbs up.

Akio, who had taken a drink of his tea, suddenly spat it out to the side, gasping and hacking. I grinned, watching him recover. He then slammed the cup down and pointed at me. "What the hell did you say?!"

"Ehh? I just call it like I see it."

"Damn you..." Akio crackled his knuckles, glaring at me. Sanae and Ushio both began to laugh. "Hey! It's not funny!"

I also found myself laughing at Akio's expense, and, after a few moments, he joined in as well. After a few moments, I calmed down, and my eyes trailed over to Ushio. I was entranced by the sight of her small smile, her flushing cheeks, her bright eyes...

_Maybe there's something here for me in this town after all..._

* * *

By the time I left, it was already dark outside. Ushio decided to accompany me for some of the walk. I found myself walking slower to match her pace, enjoying the stroll with her rather than rushing to get home.

"I'm sorry that you ended up staying over so late," Ushio said.

"That's alright, it's not like I had much else to do," I stated. I noticed that Ushio's expression seemed to be a bit off-put by this. "N-Not that you were my last resort or something," I threw in.

Ushio smiled. "It's fine... I'm glad I was able to talk to someone," she said as we came to the street-corner and stopped, standing below the lone street-light there. I turned to face her.

"Well, this is probably far enough. I live down this street," I said, pointing to my left.

Ushio nodded. "T-Thank you for coming over, Tokoi-san..."

I nervously smiled. _She's so formal..._ "Thanks for having me over, Ushio. Maybe I can come over another time?" Ushio seemed to brighten up at the idea.

"Yeah!"

We both smiled. With that, I turned to start heading down the street. "I'll see you, then," I stated, giving a small wave as I walked away. Ushio returned it.

I barely walked a few feet when Ushio spoke once more.

"Thank you..." Her voice came out soft and raspy, as though she were crying. I turned to her, but she quickly pivoted and tarted her way back home.

As I stood there in the dim outer-lighting of the street-light, I looked up towards the stars in the night sky.

_Thank you, too..._

_Ushio._

**To Be Continued...**

**Next Chapter: Dango**


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